Inner Beast
by LuanRina
Summary: In which Kaname learns that sometimes it isn't such a bad idea to surrender to his inner beast and its instincts. Kaname/Zero. Fluff, OOC-ness.


**Inner Beast**

A Vampire Knight Fan Fiction

 **Disclaimer:** VK and its characters are obviously not mine. But you know _what_ I would have done if they were ;9 Ah, Kaname-sama x Zero-chan eternal love and passion and hotness…*sighs dreamily*

 **Pairings:** Kaname/Zero (I suppose xD)

 **Warnings:** OOC-ness. That's about it. And maybe my lame attempts at being funny.

 _ **A/N:**_ _Now this one is the most random idea that has ever come to my mind and the most random thing that I have ever written. It was actually inspired by the mental image of Kaname-sama's inner beast purring from sensing Zero-chan's presence nearby – as it sort of found that said presence fascinating, so to say._

 _I know, right? What the heck?! O_O But I do remember it was inspired by one of the scenes from lovely_ _ **SexyBVirgo**_ _'s story called 'The Proposal'. Check it out if you haven't read it yet. It's hot as hell x9_

 _But anyway, this oneshot was actually the very first one I started to write. About five years ago *laughs sheepishly* I got over half of it down back then, yet somehow it's only this very early morning that I finally managed to finish it xD Aren't I fast? xD Yeah, I think so too *snorts derisively*_

 _No angst in this one. Just my pathetic attempts at fluff and humor and the sort. Nothing much, really, but I do hope it won't be a complete and total waste of your time._

 _All mistakes are mine, and since I'm not a native speaker, there probably will be many of those. For which I apologize in advance *bows deeply* Would be happy to hear your thoughts at the end of this._

 _So, without further ado… Please enjoy! :D_

 **-o-**

In a mist-filled laboratory, surrounded by dozens of different flasks of all shapes and sizes, dressed in a white coat and wearing a pair of safety glasses and rubber gloves, one Aidou Hanabusa was absorbed in performing one of his countless experiments.

His brows creased in deep concentration, the noble mixed one weird-colored liquid with another, receiving an even more peculiarly-colored substance as a result. Clouds of smoke appeared from merging of the two liquids, and Aidou froze, immediately stopping what he was doing.

He stood still, not blinking and hardly even breathing. He only watched the bigger container that held the most weird-looking liquid in it carefully, with something akin to apprehension visible in his turquoise eyes.

When one long, tense minute passed and the liquid turned into white powder-like substance, a huge grin spread over the blond's face.

He finally did it.

And now he could finally finish his newest _brilliant_ invention.

 **-o-**

A few hours later Aidou could be found sleeping soundly at his desk with his head nestled into his folded arms. The position could hardly be called comfortable and it was sure to make his neck sore when he woke up, but he had been way too tired after all the sleepless days he had spent on experiments to even think about going back to his room for a nice, well-deserved rest. He hadn't even removed his safety glasses — which had by now gone askew on his face — and was still in the same attire he had been in for the past few days.

With a content smile on his face, Aidou was blissfully traveling through his personal dreamland when, all of a sudden, he was pulled out of it by a few quiet yet firm knocks and a familiar presence that made him immediately wake up and straighten from his slouched position. His chair fell back upon his abrupt rise, but Aidou paid it no heed and promptly went to the door.

"Kaname-sama," Aidou bowed respectfully in greeting. "How can I help you?"

Kaname arched an eyebrow at the noble's appearance — especially at the safety glasses and their current position. But he chose not to comment on it and answered instead, "I need blood tablets. I do believe that I asked you to refill my case, Aidou."

Aidou's eyes widened in what appeared to be surprise, "O-oh…" Yes, he had totally forgotten — surprisingly, for once in his entire life. "Of course. Right away. J-just give me a moment please."

One of Kaname's eyebrows went up once more, but he chose not to say anything this time around as well, simply folding his arms and waiting patiently as the younger vampire disappeared behind the now once again closed door of his laboratory.

Slightly panicking now, Aidou started to frantically look for his pureblood leader's still empty blood pills case to quickly fill it with tablets. Having forgotten where he had put the thing in the first place, he ran around the room in his search for about a minute or so before his eyes accidentally — and _thankfully —_ caught sight of a familiar small metallic box of rectangular shape on his table.

The amount of relief that flooded over him couldn't be expressed by words.

Aidou had the box in his hands in less than a second, ready to fill it with tablets right away. Upon opening it, however, he was surprised to find that, to his delight and even more enormous relief, it was already full.

And his face broke into a huge smile at the sight.

He _hadn't_ forgotten after all! But of course, it was _Kaname-sama's_ request, so there was _no way_ that he would _ever_ forget about it! How could he even allow such an absurd thought to cross his brilliant mind!?

 _Truly, how uncharacteristically foolish it was of him,_ Aidou thought to himself, mentally shaking his head.

Now proud of himself more than ever, the blond hurried to the door and happily — if not proudly — handed his pureblood lord his blood tablets case. He received a small nod of gratitude in response, after which Kaname left and Aidou returned to whatever it was he was supposed to do — or tried to, anyway, as he didn't quite remember what exactly he had been doing prior to falling asleep. He had a feeling that he had been performing some experiments, but…

Aidou's eyes widened a bit and the thoughtful frown that had creased his forehead at some point smoothed out.

Of course. He remembered now.

Delight flooded over him anew at the repeated realization of his long-awaited success and undeniable brilliance.

Now all that was left to do was to find _someone_ to try his newest invention on. Someone like…

A sly grin crept onto Aidou's handsome face as yet another brilliant — because it _was_ absolutely and utterly _brilliant_ , at least in his not so humble opinion — idea came to him.

He knew just the right person to use as his guinea pig. A certain annoying, insolent ex-human hunter known by the name of-

Aidou stopped mid-thought, a frown back on his features. He didn't see his ready for testing brand new invention in the form of small tablets anywhere. And he was certain that he had left them somewhere on his table after putting all of them into-

Aidou's eyes widened in shocked horror.

He… _Surely_ he _hadn't_ …

The blond could very palpably feel his heart pick up the pace as it beat violently against his ribcage.

Oh, no… No, no, no, no, _no_...

For the first time in his life, he actually wished to have failed in his experiment.

Even though he himself couldn't quite predict the effects of his newest _brilliant —_ he still believed it was so, he couldn't just discredit his hard work — invention, he knew for sure that if it worked in any way at all…

He was _so_ going to be killed…wasn't he…?

Aidou made a mad dash for his precious leader's quarters, arriving at his intended destination in no more than a few short seconds. He gave the massive door a few urgent knocks, but received no response. He repeated the action after a couple of long, tense moments of waiting, but again, no reply came from the other side of the door.

Aidou called the pureblood then, but the result was the same.

For one long minute, he stood still in front of the closed door, more agitated than ever and completely unsure what to do.

Then, after gathering every bit of his courage, the noble took a deep breath, bravely — albeit still hesitantly — pushed the door open and entered Kaname's study, not forgetting to apologize for the intrusion in the process.

The sight that greeted Aidou made his legs immediately stop in their tracks and his eyes widen in shock and bewilderment.

There in the middle of the spacious room sat a… _being_ …that looked like some kind of a… _wolf_ …? Yes, a wolf. A black wolf. And quite a big one at that, too.

Not to mention intimidating. At least to Aidou.

The noble stared at the wolf and the wolf stared back. For some reason, Aidou couldn't help but find the look the animal was giving him to be somewhat familiar. And it was definitely _not_ in a good way.

Aidou felt an involuntary shudder travel down his now unnaturally straight, tense spine. It certainly took his damnedest to suppress a very — _extremely_ — strong urge to run away and hide somewhere in a corner of his laboratory after thoroughly barricading the door and the windows. And the walls. And the floor. And the ceiling. And everything else, just to be safe.

Aidou was soon distracted from his not so pleasant thoughts as his gaze unconsciously travelled down to the floor and he noticed what the eerily still and quiet animal was standing on.

The blond gulped nervously. Those _really_ looked _very_ much like…

 _'Kaname-sama's…clothes…?'_

Aidou looked back up at the black wolf, his eyes wider than ever. They stared at each other for another excruciatingly long minute.

The tense silence was broken only when, all of a sudden, Aidou sneezed.

 **-o-**

"So what you're saying is that…" Ichijou Takuma started calmly with his usual smile in place in spite of the situation they were in. "This cute little doggy here is actually _Kaname_ , correct?"

Kaname's brow twitched at the words 'cute', 'little' and 'doggy' — at least internally. He remained sitting calmly in his place, however, stoically silent.

"Y-ye-" Aidou couldn't finish because of another sneeze. His face was now red, eyes teary and nose runny for reasons he couldn't even begin to comprehend. After wiping his nose with yet another tissue for the umpteenth time in the last twenty or so minutes, the blond continued, "Yes. Isn't that what I've been trying to tell you two this- th-this…" Another sneeze. Thankfully, only one this time around. "Ugh…" Aidou sniffed, the weird noise his nose made in the process making his companions involuntarily cringe. "What I've been trying to tell you this whole time!?"

"Well, you do realize how that sounds, don't you?" Ichijou asked in turn.

"Of course I do," Aidou snuffled.

"And that's all the more reason to believe him," Kain Akatsuki joined the conversation with a heavy sigh. It was the first time he spoke since entering the room that he had been dragged into together with Ichijou by Aidou himself. And it was only then that, after a long while, he tore his impassive gaze from the black wolf in front of him and turned to his cousin. "What kind of crazy experiment _were_ you performing anyway, Hanabusa?"

"It's _not_ crazy!" Aidou protested, genuinely offended. "It's-" yet another sneeze. Then he continued. "It's _brilliant_!"

"Sure it is. Who else could be brilliant enough to do _this_ to our Dorm Leader?" Kain replied sarcastically in his usual impassive manner.

Aidou had to wipe his red nose before answering, his voice sounding a little muffled, "I didn't mean to! It happened by mistake!"

 _'And I may very well bury you alive for this mistake,'_ thought Kaname to himself, currently in the process of contemplating the most slow and painful ways to torture, maim and murder the idiot _would_ get him sooner or later — and his pureblood immortality wouldn't save him. It was either his life or Aidou's.

"Why did you even make them look like blood pills in the first place?" Kain continued.

"Ugh… Force of h-ha-" and another sneeze. Then another wipe of the runny nose before Aidou continued, "Habit?"

"And why put them in the blood pills case?" Kain didn't cease.

"…Another force of habit?" Aidou managed to reply normally this time.

"…Or you just wanted to fool some unsuspecting victim into taking them by making them think they were taking blood pills." That was Ichijou re-joining the conversation.

Aidou's red, watery eyes widened at his words, and the two taller — and less _brilliant —_ vampires knew that Ichijou had hit the mark.

Kain sighed tiredly, shaking his head. He could feel yet another headache creeping up on him.

Ichijou blinked and tilted his head slightly to the side as he asked curiously, "Who were you targeting?"

"W-well…" Aidou faltered, his eyes now on anything but the vampires — and animals — in the room. "It's not really important or even relevant at that-"

"Was it Kiryuu?" Kain took a random guess…

First came another loud sneeze and only then the actual answer, "How the hell did you know?!"

…And immediately hit the mark. Unsurprisingly.

Kain sighed once again before answering, "I just know _you_ , Hanabusa." And sometimes he really, _really_ regretted it. For his life would have been _so_ much easier without this breathing, walking _brilliance_ that was his _genius_ of a cousin. Alas, heavens or hell or whatever or all together just had to hate him _that_ much. "And what the hell is wrong with you anyway? Are you sick?" Kain asked with an arched brow, referring to his cousin's current weird condition.

It was Ichijou who answered that question, "I think I saw something like that in a couple of my mangas. It looks a lot like some kind of an allergic reaction."

"Vampires _can_ be allergic?"

"Apparently, yes." Then a rather funny thought crossed Ichijou's mind and he turned his attention from Kain to a yet again sneezing Aidou and, barely containing himself from bursting into laughter, said with a huge smile on his face, "Aidou-kun, you're allergic to Kaname! Who would have thought!"

Kaname's brow mentally twitched at that.

Aidou opened his mouth to protest, but never got to do it because Kain spoke first, "Wouldn't he be in that condition all the time then?"

"Oh, that's right. Then to dogs?"

"More like wolves."

"You think it's a wolf?" Ichijou asked in response, now turning his gaze to Kaname, who looked as far from amused as it could only get.

Kain hummed thoughtfully before replying, "Yeah. It's too big for a dog. I think."

Ichijou gave a thoughtful hum of his own. "I guess you're right." He moved towards Kaname to try and pat his head. The noble just couldn't help it, the fur there looked so soft and inviting and he had been dying to touch it since the very first time he had spotted the animal in the room.

He never got to fulfill his little wish though, as a low and _very_ threatening growl, along with bared, sharp teeth that were even more intimidating immediately stopped him from doing what he knew would at the very least cost him his hand.

Ichijou let out a sheepish laugh, then said, "Alright, alright, I got it. I apologize, Kaname-sama."

"So what do we do now?" Kain spoke next. "Can't you make an antidote or something, Hanabusa?"

Aidou wiped his nose after another series of sneezes. "I'll try. But I'll need time. Meanwhile you-" and there came another sneeze, "you two have to watch over Kaname-sama."

"Oh, of course we will!" Ichijou promptly replied a bit too excitedly for Kaname's taste. Somehow the pureblood had a very bad feeling about his childhood friend's enthusiasm.

He was proven right the next second when the aforementioned childhood friend who also so happened to be an annoying idiot that was simply unable to read the damn atmosphere suddenly fetched what looked like a collar and a leash — _where_ the blond had been keeping it all this time and _why_ he had it in the first place was a mystery to the pureblood — out of nowhere and said, "Now, Kaname, be a good boy and let me put this on you so we can go for a walk!"

An absolute silence fell over the room as everyone's attention focused on a brightly smiling Ichijou. Even Aidou's sneezing stopped.

Kaname gave the green-eyed idiot that was his supposed best friend a long, unamused stare…and then he left the room through the window in a form of dozens upon dozens of small black bats.

Ichijou let out a disappointed sigh as he stared after his pureblood friend. "There goes my dream of having a dog..."

 **-o-**

"Are…sure…asleep?" a somewhat distant yet undeniably familiar voice reached Kaname's ears, slowly bringing him back from dreamland.

"Looks like it," sounded another no less familiar voice that made the pureblood tense involuntarily. Now he sure as hell was wide awake, even if his eyes remained closed.

"What do you mean ' _looks_ like it'?! Zero, is it awake or not?!" Yuuki replied in a hushed tone. Was it Kaname's imagination or she _did_ sound somewhat panicky?

"…Don't tell me you're actually _scared_ of him? And here I thought you'd be all over a huge fur ball like that."

 _'…A huge_ fur _ball?'_ Kaname repeated to himself with a mental frown. ' _What in the… Oh…_ Oh _, that's right.'_ It was only now that he actually remembered his current predicament.

"I'm not- wait, ' _him_ '? How do you know it's a boy?"

In his mind's eye, Kaname couldn't help but picture the silver-haired teen shrug nonchalantly as he replied calmly, "He looks like one."

And to that the pureblood gave a mental nod, his inner self smiling in satisfaction. It wasn't often that he agreed with Zero so wholeheartedly.

Yuuki's reply came after a few long seconds of silence. "No, it doesn't."

Kaname's brow twitched. What an outrageous thing to say! Even if it was his dear girl who uttered the words.

"No, _he_ does." Kaname mentally gave a firm nod in Zero's support. Another odd — bordering on pretty much impossible — occurrence. But at the moment his pride as a man overrode his differences with the ever-defiant, impudent hunter.

"Well, there's only one way to find out which one of us is right."

"Huh?" sounded from Zero, exactly corresponding with the pureblood's mental response. Before anyone could think or do anything further, however, Kaname felt his… _tail_ being lifted and-

Kaname's eyes snapped wide open, he shot up and hurriedly jumped away from his previously comfortable warm spot, his tail wrapped around his legs protectively. He ignored the startled cry that his action evoked from Yuuki, choosing to stare at the girl accusingly instead. Never before had Kaname felt so… _violated_. And by _Yuuki_ ,of all people. It was just _wrong_.

Then happened something that Kaname _never_ expected to see or hear.

Zero laughed.

It was a quiet, soft and somewhat suppressed laughter, but it was a beautifully hearty one nevertheless.

Bewildered, Kaname couldn't look away from the silver-haired teen for some while, involuntarily mesmerized by the sight before him.

"There's nothing funny about it, Zero! I nearly got a heart attack here!" Yuuki exclaimed indignantly, her cheeks red from both anger and embarrassment. "Stop laughing, you jerk!"

Zero did, now only chuckling quietly. "Oh, but it _is_ a hell of _a lot_ of fun." He paused to let out another soft chuckle, then continued, "Besides, what's with that reaction of yours? If anyone really had a near-death experience here, it sure as hell wasn't _you_ , but that poor guy over there." Zero finished, nodding towards the furry animal that was actually the pureblood vampire they both knew.

 _'Exactly,'_ Kaname mentally confirmed the silver-haired teen's words, watching Yuuki cautiously, his gaze still accusing and tail wrapping around his lower section tighter.

Yuuki huffed in response. "Well, at least now I know for sure that you were right."

If Kaname was currently in his normal pureblood vampire form, his face would have been flaming red by now. It was, without a doubt, the most humiliating moment in his _entire_ life. And the fact that none other than his dear, precious _Yuuki_ was the one to blame for it only made it all the more unbearably mortifying.

Then all of a sudden, a warm hand was on Kaname's currently fur-covered head. Giving a slight start from surprise, the vampire-turned-animal looked up to find another unexpected sight in front of him.

It was Zero. Looking down at him with unfamiliarly soft amethyst eyes and a small, kind smile on his lips.

For a long moment, every bit of Kaname's being froze. That highly surprising sight made it so. Kaname had never imagined he would ever — _ever_ — get to see anything of the sort so up close _and_ directed at _him_ no less. It was…

 _Exhilarating almost…for some reason…_

Kaname exhaled deeply, then inhaled slowly, suddenly realizing he had stopped performing that painfully natural to any living being act of breathing at some unknown point in time.

… _And weird. It was an exhilarating and weird experience, to say the least._

It was also a surprisingly pleasant one though, and Kaname decided he could indulge in it a little.

He leaned into the startlingly gentle touch of Zero's hand, enjoying the feeling of nimble fingers threading through his fur. His muscles involuntarily relaxed, he shifted a tad closer to Zero — as discreetly as he only could, of course.

A soft chuckle from above told him his effort to be less obvious about his quiet contentment hadn't been very successful.

Kaname opened his eyes — he didn't know when he had closed them — and looked up, once again surprised to be met with a now slightly wider version of that same smile he had witnessed a few moments ago. It made something inside his belly coil. The sensation was foreign and weird, yet strangely enjoyable in a sort of ticklish way.

Zero lowered himself to one knee, now on the same eye level with Kaname, his hand slowly went down from Kaname's head to his neck and then sides, getting dangerously close to his stomach. With all his might, the pureblood resisted the urge to plonk down and turn over to give the other better access to his tummy. It was a good thing that Zero soon took pity on him and returned his attention — and his hands — to his neck and head. He knew he most likely would have lost his valiant inner battle otherwise.

"Would you like to come with us?" Zero asked after a moment. It still felt funny to be on the receiving end of that kind smile, gentle touches and warmly spoken words. But even more than that, it was really, really… _nice_.

 _'Yes…'_ Kaname mentally replied without really thinking, simply responding the way he felt, still pleasantly dazed somewhat. _'Yes, I would like that very much…'_

He felt his body lean closer to Zero, his nose nuzzling the other's palm. That elicited another chuckle from the hunter.

"Okay then," Zero said, slowly straightening up before turning around and adding over his shoulder, "let's go."

 **-o-**

The first thing Kaname did upon his arrival to Cross's house was wash himself — or rather, get washed, for he couldn't do it on his own due to obvious reasons.

Once again, it turned out to be a weird experience, being washed and cared for by none other than his supposed rival, but _once again_ …it was nice as well. Being treated so gently by someone who despised his very existence felt inexplicably pleasant, and Kaname had to admit that it made him feel strangely content. And a little smug.

He chose not to think about it too much, however. It was better to simply accept those sentiments as they were and concentrate on his surroundings instead.

Taking a bath in Kaname's current form turned out to be an interesting affair, for the most part, and a mildly terrifying one for a few seconds. Surprisingly, the reason for the latter was Yuuki.

He loved her, he really did — she was his precious girl and beloved sister, after all. But God, was she clumsy to an unimaginable extent that made her a danger to one's safety and well-being. Kaname's skin was still burning uncomfortably from when Yuuki had accidentally scorched it trying to rinse the soap off him. Twice. There probably would have been a third time as well had Zero not taken the shower head from the girl and sent her away to start preparing ingredients for dinner.

Oh, the sheer relief — and gratitude — Kaname had felt during those moments…

Internally, he apologized to Yuuki for his secret reaction to her departure. And then he mentally thanked Zero for being extra gentle and careful as he finished washing him. Such treatment actually did make his bruised flesh hurt less, or so it seemed to Kaname.

The rest of the process passed smoothly and peacefully. Kaname found himself thoroughly enjoying it and even feeling slightly disappointed when it came to an end.

That disappointment, however, didn't last long, for he quickly found — created, actually, albeit by pure accident — himself a distraction.

Kaname didn't dare move as he watched Zero laugh, now slightly dripping wet with water that Kaname had unknowingly shaken off himself — the act had felt uncannily natural to him, as thought he simply couldn't _not_ perform it — moments ago. It was a strangely… _appealing_ …sight, Kaname thought, before he mentally slapped himself and shook his head at the ridiculous thought.

Honestly, what was _wrong_ with him today…?

Ah, yes, right. He wasn't himself. He was currently some kind of a canine. Right. Right…

He supposed that explained it, his weird behavior. That, and the sudden strongest urge to _lick_ all that water off the silver-haired hunter in front of him.

Kaname felt his tongue dart out and slide over his lips.

He had to give himself another mental slap.

 **-o-**

"What the hell is this?" Zero asked as he stopped dead in his tracks immediately after entering the kitchen. A few paces behind him, Kaname cocked his head slightly to the side and, curious, quickly covered the distance between them to see for himself what exactly had Zero so stunned.

There was a sheepish laugh. The voice unmistakably belonged to Yuuki. "W-well, you see…"

Kaname padded into the kitchen, his eyes widened as he stopped next to Zero. _'Oh…'_

"Yeah, I do," Zero replied with a nod, his arms crossing over his chest. "Though I honestly would rather not."

Kaname mentally nodded in agreement. He certainly saw where the hunter was coming from. The sight before them was disastrous, to say the least. The kitchen was ruined, and Kaname wasn't sure it could be redeemed. Getting it completely renovated would probably be a faster and wiser solution.

Yuuki laughed sheepishly again while scratching the back of her head with an apologetic smile. "Sorry…?"

A minute of silence followed. Then came a long, heavy sigh. Zero shook his head as he closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Um…Zero…?"

Another long-suffering sigh. Then Zero finally looked up to meet Yuuki's guiltily apprehensive gaze. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out, and he only shook his head again with a third sigh in the past couple of minutes. "Just go wash up and change. Then go to the living and don't — _don't —_ do anything while I clean up here. Okay?"

Yuuki hesitated before nodding, "Sure. But-"

" _Don't_ do anything."

"But don't you need help-?"

"And I mean _anything_."

"But I-"

" _At all_ ," Zero finished, completely ignoring Yuuki's attempts to volunteer her help. Bad as Kaname felt for his dear girl, especially as her shoulders slumped dejectedly and she pouted in obvious disappointment, he did agree with Zero's decision not to let Yuuki help. Although he honestly doubted the kitchen's condition could get any worse at this point. "Got it?" Zero asked next.

"Mm," Yuuki nodded without looking up, her gaze on the floor.

"Yuuki?" Zero prompted more sternly, arching an eyebrow and folding his arms over his chest anew.

Yuuki breathed a sigh, still pouting, before mumbling, "Got it…"

Zero nodded his approval, "Good. Now," he stepped further into the kitchen and began rolling up his sleeves, "off you go. And we're ordering takeout tonight, so think what you'd like to have."

That lifted Yuuki's spirits. "Sure!" she beamed at Zero and went on her merry way out of the kitchen.

Kaname mentally shook his head in fond exasperation while giving Zero's back a sympathetic look.

 **-o-**

It was a couple hours past midnight that Zero finally got to go to bed after finishing cleaning up the kitchen. Amazingly, he had managed to save the said room and almost completely restore it to its original condition, which seemed to be nothing short of a miracle to Kaname. Had it been him, he wouldn't have even bothered trying and would have gotten everything renovated instead.

Kaname mentally snorted at the response he knew he would have gotten from Zero at that. Something snarky, without a doubt. And disrespectful — highly disrespectful and disdainful, for sure. It would have annoyed him, but it would have also amused him just as much, if not more. Zero tended to have that effect on him.

They were the only ones awake at this late hour, as Cross and Yuuki had long retired for the night.

The two had offered to help numerous times, but Zero had flat out refused. Kaname could see why — one didn't need to be a genius to predict the painfully likely consequences of their combined 'help'. They had been persistent though, their numerical advantage probably increasing their confidence _and_ stubbornness, and continued trying to 'help' over and over again, despite Zero's numerous protests.

Unsurprisingly, it had only stressed the silver-haired teen out further, and at some point he had had enough of the two 'clumsy idiots' — his words, not Kaname's, even if the pureblood couldn't deny that he had derived a certain amusement from them and the way Zero had spoken them — and simply locked them out of the kitchen.

Kaname honestly couldn't blame him. Entertaining as it all had been to watch for him, he _had_ felt bad for Zero.

Thankfully, Cross and Yuuki had been the only ones kicked out. Zero hadn't seemed to mind Kaname's company, so he had let him stay. For that Kaname had been immensely grateful, for he had long realized that the only safe place to be in the house was beside Zero. He was Kaname's only way to survive Yuuki's clumsiness and Cross's suffocating — in a very _literal_ sense of the word, as the man had nearly strangled the life out of him with his overly enthusiastic bear hug the first time he had seen him — friendliness.

Along with gratitude there had also been a certain amount of weird smugness and superiority brought by the fact that _his_ company had actually been more preferable to Zero — to _Zero_ , of all people — than that of Cross and even _Yuuki_ , but Kaname chose to dismiss those sentiments. They weren't important. Nor were they real.

It was all his current form and its nature. Zero just must be good with animals. Kaname had once heard he had somehow managed to tame the Hell Horse of the Cross Academy, the one nobody had been able to even get close to. So yeah, that must be it, and it must be his case too.

Kaname mentally gave his thoughts an approving nod.

It was all his current canine form. Its instincts were what dictated his present highly uncharacteristic behavior, and they were simply too difficult to resist when he wasn't himself.

Another mental nod.

Surely that was it. So there was no need to be overly concerned or even ashamed, for that matter. Everything would get back to normal the moment he was himself again.

Another couple of nods.

So it was okay to follow his newfound instincts for now. It couldn't be helped, after all, and it wasn't like he could do anything about it anyway.

The conclusion was followed by a mental shrug.

Yeah, that seemed about right. So it was okay. Totally okay, really. His behavior was completely acceptable and only logical.

At least so Kaname kept telling himself as he climbed into Zero's bed and merrily made himself comfortable beside Zero.

…He needed to sleep somewhere, didn't he? And he certainly _wasn't_ going to sleep on the floor. He wasn't some _pet_ or _animal_ , for God's sake. He might _look_ like one right now, but he wasn't, and he certainly wouldn't tolerate such treatment — maybe save for belly scratching and general caressing, but that was it.

Either way, anything was better than the floor. Cross and Yuuki were out of the question for obvious albeit different reasons on both sides, which left only Zero.

Admittedly, there _might_ have been a very viable option called 'couch', but it had gotten dismissed without ever being considered. That, too, however, was completely logical in Kaname's mind. It was self-preservation. Simple as that. Staying by Zero's side was a safer bet, so _of course_ Kaname couldn't sleep peacefully in the living room — it was too far from his only safe place in the house.

Kaname gave himself yet another mental nod.

As usual, his reasoning was flawless. And completely logical.

Two more nods.

And now that that was out of the way and it was quiet and peaceful around and he was feeling nice and warm… Kaname could finally relax and sleep. It was a very long and _very_ tiring — not to mention unusual and eventful, to say the least — day.

Kaname took a deep breath, paused for a moment, and then exhaled slowly, his eyes sliding shut and body unconsciously shifting closer to the already slumbering source of warmth at his side.

 _Hmm… Maybe he wouldn't punish Aidou_ that _severely after all…_

 **-o-**

Kaname started to stir in response to a slight movement under him, a small frown forming on his brow at the disturbance of his remarkably pleasant slumber. With great difficulty and reluctance, he cracked one eye open, if only to make the source of the movement beneath his upper half stop and stay still with his disgruntled, albeit still slightly drowsy half-glare — which usually was more than enough to get his way.

Not this time though. Unsurprisingly. Because his opponent was Zero. The only one who _loved_ to defy Kaname and seemed to be made just for that.

Well, Kaname wasn't in the mood to be defied at the moment.

Huffing exasperatedly, Kaname shifted forward and pressed down with all his weight. There was a groan, and all movement ceased. Kaname smirked smugly and let out a small snort, his one open eye sliding shut anew as he rested his head on his crossed forepaws.

Zero tried to move again. Another groan — one of frustration this time — escaped him when the attempt failed.

Kaname's smirk widened, he shifted ever so slightly to secure his hold on his living pillow.

 _Oh, this was_ fun _._

Especially so because Kaname knew he would totally get away with it. His current form guaranteed it. Zero definitely had a soft spot for it, which allowed Kaname to act as spoiled as he only wanted.

For a fleeting moment, Kaname wondered whether it would change if Zero were to learn his true identity. A part of him was actually tempted to find out what would happen in such an event, but he quickly dismissed the notion, distracted by another groan that came from Zero after yet another failed attempt at escape.

They were both fully awake now, all remnants of sleepiness having been chased away by Kaname's unexpected — even to him — mischievousness.

Finally, Zero gave up the struggle and slumped on the bed with a deep, resigned sigh. Kaname languidly opened his eyes to see Zero turn to look over his shoulder and shoot him a glare. It did nothing but amuse Kaname further though, as its intensity was nowhere _near_ its usual almost physically scorching level that the pureblood was subjected to on a daily basis. That along with total lack of real deadliness behind it made that glare all but useless against Kaname. Zero didn't even mean it, and they both knew it.

Kaname snorted smugly to himself.

The two stayed like that for a minute that Kaname took to savor his victory.

Then, still all but buzzing with smug satisfaction, Kaname slowly shifted away, his head held high and his smirk still playing on his lips as he freed Zero from under his form.

"I'm so leaving you in Cross and Yuuki's care next time," Zero grumbled under his breath as he shifted away and sat up on the edge of the bed, eyeing Kaname accusingly and almost warily.

Kaname gave a soft snort. _'Yeah, you try that,'_ he mentally challenged. _'Let's see which one of us breaks first.'_

As if reading Kaname's thoughts, Zero added, "I am," he insisted. "I _so_ am."

Kaname responded with another snort, still unfazed. And very evidently unconvinced.

Zero scowled, but his expression, too, was nowhere near its usual degree of annoyance.

Kaname remained unaffected, and he knew that Zero could see it. That knowledge alone only added to his amusement. Apparently, Zero could see it, too, if an exasperated huff that escaped him as he turned away and got up was anything to go by.

Kaname plopped down on the bed, somehow still managing to keep his movements graceful as he did so. His forepaws crossed and his head lowered to lie on top of them, his eyes involuntarily following Zero's every move as the hunter stretched before going to his dresser to fetch a towel and a set of clothes. Kaname had no trouble guessing where the other would head now. For a moment, he entertained the idea of accompanying Zero if only to annoy him some more, but he decided against it in the end and let the silver-haired teen walk out of the room and have his shower in peace.

It was mere minutes later that Kaname realized just how wise _that_ decision had been.

The transformation was just as abrupt as it had been the first time. One second he was a furry canine, and the next he was back to his original pureblood vampire form. No fur, no pointed ears, no tail.

…And no clothes. Obviously. He had forgotten he had been walking around _naked_ for the past he didn't know how many hours. And now he was naked in Zero's room. In Zero's _bed_. In _Kiryuu Zero's_ room and bed.

Lovely.

A part of him was actually amused and actively wondering what Zero's reaction would be if he were to walk in and see Kaname the way he was now. That part was certain it would be entertaining to watch.

But then there was another — more rational — part that knew for sure Zero's response to such a situation wouldn't be pretty, and if Kaname didn't want to get his naked rear shot several times, he better get out while he still had time.

…One that he seemed to have _just_ run out of, if the fact that he couldn't hear the shower running anymore was any indication.

Kaname stiffened, freezing for a second. He was quick to come to his senses though, and within but a few moments, he turned into a flock of black bats and flew away through a partially open window.

A short while later, Zero returned to find his room empty. He looked around, wondering where his new four-legged friend had gone, but then just shrugged his shoulders and continued drying his hair as he stepped further into the room, figuring he would see the mischievous beast later if the said creature so chose.

 **-o-**

 _This was it. His punishment time had come and he was going to be dead. So,_ so _dead…_

Aidou gulped nervously at his less than optimistic thoughts, almost literally shaking with fear as he stood in the middle of Kaname's study room with the pureblood himself — now back to his usual perfect form in all its royal glory — sitting silently behind his mahogany desk and gazing at him with frighteningly calm contemplation in his burgundy eyes.

The blond vampire had to fight an uncharacteristic and _very_ strong urge to fidget uncomfortably. The lengthy silence was seriously wreaking havoc on his poor nerves.

After what seemed like an eternity to the noble, Kaname spoke, "Tell me, Aidou…"

"Y-yes, Kaname-sama!" Aidou responded immediately, involuntarily straightening his back and gulping nervously again.

"Do you have more of those newly invented tablets of yours?"

"N-no, Kaname-sama. They were completely disposed of two nights ago so as to avoid any more…uh, accidents..."

"I see…" Kaname replied, closing his eyes briefly in contemplation before continuing, "In that case…"

Aidou clenched his fists tightly at his sides, fighting the urge to squeeze his eyes shut as he waited for Kaname to continue and announce his verdict.

"…Make some more."

A long, tense silence followed.

Aidou's turquoise eyes widened and he blinked once. Then twice. And then once more.

"Um… _I beg your pardon_?" Aidou asked, dumbfounded. Surely he had heard wrong. There was no way that his pureblood lord-

"I do believe that I don't suffer from any speech defects," Kaname replied calmly before repeating his request anyway, "I want you to make more of those tablets."

"B-but… But… _why_ …?! They are not- they are-…I mean, they are a failure and-"

"Aidou…" That managed to shut the blond up right away. Kaname continued, "I said that I wish you to make _more_ of those tablets… Using the exact same formula. Is _that_ clear?"

Aidou straightened up anew before bowing as he replied, "Of course, Kaname-sama!" Even if the order was confusing to him, to say the least. But he would make sure to execute it to the best of his ability for his precious leader.

"Good," Kaname said with a slight nod of approval. Then he returned his attention to the piles of never-ending paperwork on his desk and added, "You are dismissed."

Aidou left the room promptly and quietly in a daze.

Now in the hallway, the noble stood motionlessly staring unblinkingly at nothing in particular, still lost in his musings.

Then he blinked. And again after several seconds. And then he blinked some more.

 _What in the world…_

Aidou was startled out of his thoughts by a soft click that sounded from behind him. His back straightened of its own accord once more, and he barely managed to stop himself from jumping up in surprise and involuntary fright.

"And Aidou…" Kaname's voice came sounding through the now slightly ajar door, "Do try to be quick about it."

"Y-yes, Kaname-sama!"

And the blond disappeared, already mere seconds away from his laboratory.

Kaname pushed the door shut with his mind and refocused on the awaiting documents before him. He might as well finish his paperwork while he waited, seeing as he would hardly be able to find the opportunity to do so after getting his request fulfilled.

 **.**

 **-The End-**

 **.**

 _ **A/N:**_ _Um, well, yeah, there you have it. As usual, nothing special, just a little something to kill your time. If you actually got to the end, thank you *bows* Would be happy to hear your thoughts on this one as well. Take care, have a wonderful day/night, and hope to see you again soon! :D_


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